Wera Waldek
(1930); printed 1984
from the Bauhaus portfolio I (1919–33) 1984
Medium
gelatin silver photograph
Measurements
(19.0 × 22.5 cm) irreg. (image) 27.0 × 35.3 cm (sheet)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Galerie Kicken Berlin in memory of Rudolf Kicken (1947-2014), 2024
© Gertrud Arndt/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
Gallery location
Special Exhibitions Gallery
Ground Level, NGV International
About this work
Originally wanting to study architecture, Gertrud Arndt enrolled at the Bauhaus school in 1923–24, ultimately specialising in weaving. A self-taught photographer, she informally developed her skills while apprenticing at an architect’s office in Erfurt prior to her studies, later photographing buildings for her husband’s architecture firm. Printing this picture in its negative state, rather than turning it into a positive image, Arndt creates a striking dreamlike effect. The portrait depicts fellow Bauhaus architecture student Wera Waldek, who made designs for children’s play furniture and housing interiors. The image forms part of the Bauhaus Portfolio I 1919–1933, published by Rudolf Kicken Galerie in 1984.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Cologne, Germany
Edition
ed. 34/70
Inscription
inscribed in pen and ink l.l.: G. Arndt
Accession Number
2024.1016
Department
International Photography